Take a look behind a serious bar these days and you'd think you were
walking the aisles at Whole Foods: Kaffir-lime leaves, pomegranate
molasses, pickled vegetables, and even balsamic vinegar are but a
few of the upscale products being called into service by your better
bartenders. Assuming you are not ready to brew your own bitters or
cure some manzanilla olives, here are five easy-to-use ingredients
that will immediately upgrade your cocktails:

'Fabbri Amarena Cherries' from A Taste of Italy Foods (www.atasteofitalyfoods.com)

Amaro means "bitter" in Italian, and the amarena cherry,
which grows throughout the Mediterranean region and usually comes
packed in sugar syrup with a touch of brandy, boasts pleasing tartness
and a deep ruby color. The industry standard comes from Fabbri, a
classic Italian confectioner based in Bologna. Spoon a few of them
(with a touch of the syrup) into a Manhattan or old-fashioned.

November 2008 edition

From MSNBC:

Half the
fun of traveling is sinking your teeth into the foods of a new country
or region. Beignets and chicory coffee are as much a part of New Orleans
as Mardi Gras beads, and who can resist French pastries when traveling
abroad? But if travel isnt in the plans this holiday season, there
are plenty of Web sites that can bring the tastes of travel to you,
wherever you live.

Foods
from abroad

A TASTE OF ITALY FOODS
atasteofitalyfoods.com

Italy creates so many fabulous food memories that its impossible
to cover them all: Start with the Italian semolina pastas, far from
your standard elbow macaroni. Move on to the pesto, whole tomatoes to
be made into sauce, and the authentic balsamic vinegar. Or make a meal
of the garlicky salami and your favorite cheese  from provolone
to parmigiano reggiano. Gift baskets are offered at the stores
parent site, A Taste of Italy.com.

For true
Italian specialty foods, it used to be a matter of finding just the
right gourmet market or finding the best mail order catalog (or lugging
home a suitcase full of packaged goods through customs). Once again,
the World Wide Web brings the culinary world just a little closer with
fantastic Italian food resources. Recipes, hard-to-find ingredients,
even market-fresh truffles and cheeses are just a click away-check out:

A
Taste of Italy Foods
(www.atasteofitalyfoods.com) Consider it a personal pantry of Italian
foods. From rich pesto sauces and olive oils to biscotti and breads,
A Taste of Italy Foods online brings a wide variety of food products
to your door. Each product is accompanied by a photo and description.
Shoppers can even create specialized gift baskets with a personalized
message. Order online or call (888) 64-ITALY.